Dupuytren Contracture Institute

Dupuytren Contracture: Cause

Dupuytrens Contracture Cause

Ultimately, there is no accepted or established Dupuytren contracture cause. That obviously does not mean that there is no cause, it just means the source or start of these deforming contractures of fingers has not yet been determined.

Several possible causes of Dupuytren contracture being studied:

• Just based on the results of statistical analysis, there is a strong probability that Dupuytren contracture is of genetic in origin. Several studies, mostly in Europe and the U.S., suggest there is an autosomal dominant pattern involved.

• HLA-B7 and HLA-DR3 markers have been identified in a number of patients, suggesting a possible immunologic influence as well.

• Dupuytren contracture has long been known to be associated with excessive growth and excessive production of collagen from the fibroblast cells in the palmar tissue. Recent investigation points to the idea that this cellular activity could be due to irregularity of the chromosomal changes of the mitochondria similar to those seen in cancer cells. An abnormality of the trisomy 8 marker has been identified in the fibroblasts excised from the palmar lesion in some patients, indicating certain features of a benign neoplasm.

• Many cellular changes and activities observed in the palmar fascia of Dupuytrens contracture are similar to those cellular changes of normal wound repair and remodeling, but to an excessive and harmful degree. This observation supports the theory that Dupuytrens contracture could be caused at least in part by trauma. This theory is further advanced by the fact that the fatty tissue layer that normally protects the tendons of the palm of the hand gradually disappears with age in those races most commonly affected by Dupuytrens contracture. With less protective layers of these fat pads, the tendons become exposed to the normal stress and repeated trauma of life. After exposure to unprotected compression, friction, and other forces, the body’s response might be to initiate a protective but excessive repairative response in the injured palmar fascia.

Dupuytren contracture treatment must be broad based

Without a clear idea to explain the cause of the Dupuytrens lump on palm of hand, DCI concludes that the victim of this disease needs to support the normal healing and repair capacity of the body in as many ways available. Without a known cure, a good strategy is to provide the nutrients necessary to allow for the best immune response to attack and injury. After study and observation of this problem, it became clear that those therapies that have been shown to have sufficient success in Peyronie’s disease research studies are also potentially effective in treating Dupuytrens contracture. Therefore, the conservative therapies that are used in DCI’s aggressive program of treatment for Dupuytrens contracture are almost identical to those used in Peyronie’s disease. Click here to learn more about Dupuytrens Alternative Treatment.